CCSM - Key Persons
Elaine has over 20 years experience running museum education programs and most recently served as program director in an afterschool program in San Francisco.
She enjoys sparking children's imagination, creativity, curiosity and empathy by helping them explore and engage in the world around them. Her role at CCSM is to provide hands-on activities to complement the lessons being taught.
Job Titles:
- Webmaster & Technical Support
Melanie Dresbach has a classical background in voice, harpsichord, and piano performance. She completed her undergraduate work in education and in music performance and received her teaching credential at SJSU. In 1999 she received a Masters degree in Liturgical Ministry at Santa Clara University.
She began her career in church music ministry in Okinawa, Japan, accompanying choirs at the
military bases at the age of twelve. She served the Catholic Dioceses of San Jose and San Francisco for over 45 years and still assists at St. Matthias Catholic Church in Redwood City.
She served as music director at All Saints Cristo Rey Iglesia Episcopal in Watsonville for four
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Minister Emerita, Retired
Penny Nixon served as the Senior Minister of CCSM from 2007 - 2022 and was honored with the title of Minister Emerita upon her retirement from pastoral ministry. She was the first woman to hold that position and had the longest tenure in CCSM's 158-year history.
Under her leadership CCSM thrived as a vibrant, progressive spiritual community, became known for its work in social justice, received the MLK award from the county of San Mateo and had the distinction of becoming a sanctuary church. A community leader and political activist, she has received numerous awards and recognitions for her work in both San Francisco and San Mateo, the most recent being named 2019 Woman of the Year for Assembly District 22. She also is the founder and co-director of the Peninsula Solidarity Cohort, a group of 40 interfaith clergy engaged in addressing the most pressing social needs in San Mateo County.
Currently, Penny works as a consultant at the intersection of affordable housing and faith communities.
Job Titles:
- Minister of Community Life & Ministerio Latino
The Congregational Church of San Mateo has maintained a sustained commitment to the Latino community since 2009, when an initiative to share solidarity support and expand its relationships with Spanish-speaking Latinos in the North Central San Mateo neighborhood emerged from the dream of its members.
In 2017, the Spanish-speaking "Wednesday gathering" faith community was organized, a group of Latinos with many things in common with the church's English-speaking community: A commitment to social justice and willing hearts to live a lively, progressive, and inclusive spirituality. That same year, the congregation adopted "Sanctuary Congregation" status, offering physical refuge to people facing deportation orders. It became one of the first churches on the peninsula to offer physical shelter on religious property. Between 2020 and 2022, the church provided pastoral accompaniment and, in alliance with other partner organizations, distributed food and supported all Latino persons who requested it to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, the Latino Ministry is strengthening and preparing for a new time of growth to extend an extravagant welcome to all Spanish-speaking Latinos seeking a progressive, Christian faith community committed to justice where all people are welcome without exception.